Tuesday 31 August 2010

Chosen nudged towards using Great Weapons

Chosen got a broad sweep nerf in the 1.3.6 patch. The resist aura took a heavy hit and since almost every attack we use (certainly the ones worth having) all use spirit damage; it works out as far more than a single ability change. At first it seemed really OMFG bad, but it turned out my armour had bugged somehow and after I removed and re-equipped it all my damage went up a bit. However, having sorted my strangely bugged armour and put a load more time in I have discovered to my disappointment that it’s hit my sword and shield Chosen fairly badly.

If you are wearing lots of sovereign, or use a Great Weapon combined with top end gear to purely maximise your DPS then it’s still good, the damage is lower but not that much. But for a non sovereign shield using Chosen it’s lowered the damage just enough to blunt their edge and outside of CC and debuffs make them feel a bit puny. So much so in fact, that despite me being a huge fan of the sword & shield playstyle and the abilities and specs this allows you to use, I too have respecced and adjusted my gear for using Great Weapons. Instantly I’m back to having the same impact that I did without a Great Weapon prior to 1.3.6. Note that I’m not saying I used to hit as hard with S&B as I do now with a Great Weapon, but the damage was high enough before to feel more of a threat than you can now, it’s about overall impact in RvR.

It’s a bit of a shame really. I do think the resist nerf was a good idea, as its effect on everyone else’s damage was too high, it’s just a pity that the cost turned out to be my favourite playstyle being nerfed a step too far. There should have been something to compensate somehow. It does feel like Mythic either didn't quite get this right, or that they actually want us to be using Great Weapons.
Plus on a purely personal level it has ruined my solo roaming ability, at least until I get the hang of having less options and survivability. Still, it could be worse and I have enjoyed the change of playstyle more than I expected. Not gonna kid myself though, if we get a return to having multiple viable spec and gear options, then I’ll be respeccing shield straight away.

In other news... make sure you watch our new KF WAR vid. KILL FRENZY FRIED CHICKEN!

11 comments:

  1. Well at least you look cool :-)

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  2. Maybe the very fact that you were doing significant enough damage with a sword/shield combo was the very reason they changed it? I'll say, as a Knight, if I could use my wounds debuff with a one-hander, AND had access to crippling strikes, I would never put on a two-hander.

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  3. Well crippling is not so hot with a 1 hander actually bud as you're reliant on blast wave critting when its not on cooldown. Crippling strikes really comes into its own when you're using a 2 hander combining the much higher crit that brings (40%+) and the extra AoE from rending blade. Between rending blade and blast wave crippling strikes starts to shine.

    As for right now, I dont think hitting squishies for 300 is quite what was intended.

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  4. Bootae

    Maybe you should try some thing diffrent i mean look at my sm he throws around greatsword (royal) dose spirt damage the same as a chosen but you seen it your self

    i pump out respectable admout of damage but my surive abilty is still massive as well. with out healer support.

    I think there is a some thing most tanks seem to forgett where not a dps class were a true support class greatsword tanks most of the time in my view are supposed to support mdps in taking down targets..

    S+b tanks well in the sm case its not brill its one of the reason's why i speced my sm a true hybrid good defence and ok offence it works well for the sm but i dout it would work well for the other tank classes but its just a idea any way bootae

    -Eldard/Gorefist

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  5. That Sword and board looks awesome. Loved the vid too great effort.

    As a knight I can only look on at the chosen with awe. After Premade-ing and pugging the citadel for a few hours on sunday I could really see power of a DPS spec chosen in 6v6 situation. 2 chosen and 2 choppas are just a DPS leafblower.

    Mythic still don't understand their metagame, as shown by nerfing knights and chosen in order to stopping bombing. I understand that chosen can do very formidable DPS with good survivability. So I am sure mythic would argue that was reason enough for the nerf. But even if they wanted to tone that down why knights? It is tough enough for us to generate DPS. Perhaps it was we are gimped enough already with dps mythic thought we wouldn't notice?

    Vonplinkplonk

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  6. No arguments from me about great weapon being good tbh guys.

    And I don't expect sword and board to be DPS, but it seems to have dropped a touch too much. That's all. It's not class destroying, but it has meant that there is now one spec and weapon load out that is dramatically superior to the other in terms of over all impact.

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  7. I wouldn't worry about your damage too much. You might want to see my damage against you when in scenario's to see true suckage and I'm meant to be playing a DPS class. I see far to much low 100's and 0's for my liking. I don't mind you having high hp/tough, but to be metting out the same kind of damage is a bit rich :)

    PS - I wave at you in scenario's and you never wave back...

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  8. Doh I've not noticied you waving dude sorry!

    Chosen didn't (and don't) do anywhere near the damage of a DPS class. My Choppa and Witch Elf for example, far, FAR out dps Chosen. And with Dual Wield is hitting far quicker, for higher numbers. Remember its Damage Per Second. My WE is critting every other attack for 1.5-1.8k and she's only RR50. As is my RR55 Choppa. Chosen can't anywhere get near that.

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  9. Forgot to say, the impression that Chosen are doing DPS class type damage is based on a few dodgy videos and scenario scores, which are inflated.

    Black Orcs and Ironbreakers actually hit harder then Chosen can.

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  10. The key to the chosen is the high DPS (yep choppas and WE out pace you) plus the survivability plus chucking guard on a true DPS makes Chosen a great utility tank. I just want to stress it's not "omg chosen are teh borken" but the group synergy that they generate makes them source of great envy.

    As for SnB we have a few knights in the guild and we are agreed more or less that playing SnB for a knight (and chosen?) is meaningless as there are sooo many players with undefendable attacks that its just not worth it.

    Btw I dont think it is for you to defend the chosen. The chosen does all the basic stuff very well its just that mythic seem unable to grasp that in the complex battlespace of WAR ;) being able to do simple stuff well is better than anything else.

    VonPP

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  11. Good points VPP.

    End result of it all is at the moment I am actually having quite a good time playing GW style in scenarios. So as I mentioned in the post, it could be worse ;)

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Half man half pixel. Music obsessive, likes a drink, occasional bastard.